...Creon is an oppressive leader in the tragedy Antigone by Sophocles. From time to time, Creon shows sympathy for Antigone. When Creon leads his people he often abuses the power. Creon is often described as a tyrant and a good leader. Creon’s actions often portray his decision of being a tyrant or a good leader. The actions for Creon being a tyrant is when he doesn’t bury Polyneices. Actions showing qualities of a good leader is when he reduces the sentence for Antigone. Creon has a chance of being a good leader that has a heart. His actions hurt his chances of becoming a good leader. Creon’s actions show a desire to preserve and protect his country, but his actions also show him lusting his power. Creon has the potential to Throughout the tragedy, Creon shows two sides of himself. Creon shows his side of being a tyrant when he doesn’t want to bury Polyneices. When Creon hears about Polyneice’s death, he makes the executive decision to not have Polyneices buried. Antigone hears the news and buries her brother. Creon hears the news and is outraged. When Creon hears it was a girl he begins to think of punishments for Antigone. Creon’s actions throughout...
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...calculating, narcissistic, and having a drive for power are some of the personality traits found common amongst tyrants. They can also be charismatic, charming, and deceitful. Having the personality traits of a tyrant, in moderation, could be the ultimate key to success. When people hear the word “tyrant”, they think of an oppressive and cruel ruler, such as Adolf Hitler. Throughout history, tyrants are notorious for being selfish and causing massive destruction because of this selfishness. However controversial it may be, the fact is that they had goals and they were successful to some extent. A perfect example of using tyrannical powers for success is a boss telling their employees what to do and providing expectations. As the visual found from Career Intelligence, a boss-like figure gave an employee an assignment which later lead to the company’s sales to increase. A boss has to have that drive for success and power in order for their goals, or the goals of the place they work for, to be met. If they do not have any urge to control situations or people, whether being oppressive or not, they would not be in the position that they are in today. While not saying that everyone that has a higher rank job is self-absorbed, some decisions that lead to their success most likely only benefitted...
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...The first emperor of China, hero or tyrant? Qin Shihuangdi became the leader for the state Qin at the age of 13. His generals helped him defeat 6 rival states. He united all of China by 221 B.C. Sounds like he’s done a lot in a lifetime, but were they good things or bad things. In my opinion, he’s seems more like a tyrant. Through 2 sources that i’m able to tell that he was a tyrant when he ruled. First of all, Qin Shihuangdi spent an enormous amount of money on his desire. He used tax money to built palaces and temples for himself. The late emperors used human sacrifices for their immortality, but Qin built 6,000 clay statues of horses and warriors using the tax money instead. He had many great constructions built using the money, including the Great Wall of China. He even had a “spirit city” of his own for his death within a 5 acre wall. Summing it all up would equal a whole lot of money....
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...teaching students. Socrates was considered poor by Greek standards and showed little or no interest in his own children. He was devoted to philosophizing with other boys of Athens. By all accounts, there are no writings by Socrates so information about him and his life is garnered by the writings of some his famous students, one of which was Plato, and contemporaries such as Aristophanes. Life in Ancient Greece was volatile and there were numerous power struggles. It was during these controversial times that battles between the Tyrants and the Aristocrats were also being waged. Athens had been defeated during the Peloponnesian War and was undergoing drastic political turmoil during the time of Socrates. Liberalism and democracy was being brought to Athens largely because of Pericles. The Tyrants wanted Socrates to arrest Leon of Salamis so he could be executed and his assets seized. Socrates neither arrested Leon nor warned him of the Tyrants plan. The citizens of Athens viewed Socrates and his teachings as problematic when Socrates refused to carry out this order. The people were enthusiastic about laying blame for turmoil on someone else’s shoulders. It was easier for humans to justify their place in the world along with their political beliefs when they had a public figure who disagreed with the masses. Socrates was a very convenient scapegoat. It is believed that Socrates had no opinion on politics but was more interested in...
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...Does Shakespeare depict Julius Caesar as a tyrant who deserved to be deposed because of his unconstitutional usurpation of power? William Shakespeare’s well-renowned play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, has led to centuries of controversial debate on the validity of tyrannicide based on his depiction of Julius Caesar. Some scholars have argued that Shakespeare intended to portray Caesar as a tyrant, while others believe he is acting as a just King. On one hand, it is difficult to assume that Shakespeare plainly viewed Caesar as a tyrant, especially since Shakespeare deliberately left Caesar’s actions and intentions ambiguous, making him into a less obvious tyrannical figure compared to Plutarch’s representation of Caesar. In addition, Shakespeare does not solidify Caesar as a tyrant in the same way he does with Macbeth and Richard III in their respective plays. On the other hand, it is difficult to reason that Caesar is a just King because he came into power by usurpation. “In antiquity the term [“tyrant”] referred to a ruler who came to power by usurpation, without constitutional warrant.” Based on insight from several sources and my own interpretation of Julius Caesar, I have concluded that Shakespeare left Caesar’s objectives unknown in order to focus on the moral dilemma faced by Brutus, but Shakespeare still intended to depict Caesar as a tyrant who deserved to be deposed because of his unconstitutional usurpation of power. In order to prove this I will evaluate the political...
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...Andrew Jackson, an American Tyrant. As the president of the United States, Andrew Jackson exercised his power in a cruel, arbitrary, and unreasonable way. This abuse of power makes Andrew Jackson a tyrant. Many of the actions Jackson took as president of the United States prove Jackson was not democratic leader. First, Jackson vetoed congress and abolished the bank of the United States. Second, Jackson used the “Spoils System” to give his party and himself more power. Finally, Jackson removed thousands of Native Americans from their land illegally, and forced them onto unsettled land out west. Andrew Jackson once said, “I cannot be intimidated from doing that which my judgment and conscience tell me is right by any earthly power.” This statement shows Jackson’s attitude was one of a tyrant, not a democratic leader. The Bank of the United States was started in 1816 to restore a sound fiscal condition after the War of 1812. The bank was operated and managed by both private and public officials. The bank provided public services such as transferring government funds around the country and functioning as a depository for the Treasury.(a) The bank had a reputation of being responsible with it’s money and was generally popular among state bankers. The fact the Bank of the United States was popular among it’s competition (State bankers) speaks to how well it was run and the positive impact it had on the economy of America. There was however many Americans that...
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...Don Charles Hodges Jr. Dr. Kevin Windham History 101 - 50 9 October 2012 Socrates Obituary Assignment Don Hodges, The Athens Daily Socrates (469-399 B.C.E.) ATHENS- The city of Athens is one step closer to aspiring back to the great city we once were as the antagonist Socrates is dead. The seventy-one year old was sentenced to death by the Athenian courts days ago on charges of impiety and corruption of youth. A native of Athens, he was born the son of the stonemason Sophroniscus and Phainarete. The spouse of Xanthippe and father of three he lived a rather abusive home life. This is possibly due to another relationship in which he cared for the concubine Myrto. Initially a prosperous infantry man in the athenian army he left Athens in order to fight in the Peloponnesian War. Distinctive in war, he fought in many battles, notably the battle of Delium in 424 (B.C.E.) where he was remarkable in the field despite the loss. Socrates was an adamant citizen and believed all people should follow the law and abide by their duties to the state. He was later scrutinized by the popular assembly when he was the only person to vote against trying the Athenian commanders, who left survivors at sea, as a whole instead of individually as the law directed. After the war he sept through the cracks of society as he started to practices his own techniques of philosophy and teaching. Through personal experience and the knowledge of others he developed a method of deciphering the practical...
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...Edward Spencer Ramsey 701069231 3/11/12 HUM 102 Shakespeare Paper A few weeks ago, I saw the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. It tells the story of a man who commits regicide – the killing of a monarch, likely so that person will succeed him- to become king and then continues the killings in order to sustain his power.. This movie highlights the idea of corruption in achieving a goal, as well as the violence, cruelty and the overall oblivion of the status quo. This play takes place in Scotland. This play can be connected to Queen Elizabeth. She was arguably the greatest monarch that ever ruled England. Under the rule of Queen Elizabeth, England became a major world power as well as encouraged the Arts and great literature by William Shakespeare. When Robert Devereux – the Earl of Essex died, Elizabeth started to lose the interest as well as the control she had on running England. She had lost the will to rule and died at age 70 in 1603; King James VI of Scotland was crowned King James I of England, just a few years before the play was written. It should be noted that James also named Shakespeare's acting company "The King's Men" so; the purpose of Macbeth was probably to please the king. The movie was released in 1983. It was written by William Shakespeare and directed by Jack Gold. Macbeth is played by Nicol Williamson, a Scottish born actor. Lady Macbeth is played by Jane Lapotaire. The three witches are played by Brenda Bruce, Eileen Way and Anne Dyson respectively...
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...Prompt: Discuss how did Pisistratus sought to retain power and how did his sons lost it. Pisistratus was a tyrant in Archaic Athens who formed a party/gathered his partisans by championing the cause of the men who live beyond the hills. He was considered the most democratic of the three tyrants during the factional dispute of the Athenians. Psistratus championed the lower class and while he was in power, he was not hesitant to confront the aristocracy. He greatly reduced their privileges, confiscated their lands and gave the lands to the poor, as well as funding many religious and artistic programs. He was exiled twice during his rule and both times he found a way to return and regain his power. The first time, he rode into the city in a golden chariot accompanied by a woman playing the role of Athena. The second time he went around to the local cities and gathered support from them until he was able to come back to Athens and re-stake his claim. He was not a particularly violent or oppressive tyrant, but instead he was temperate and valued the current constitutional government. This stability helped him to maintain support and power throughout his rule. He heavily favored the arts and set about to beautify Athens (which was popular among all the classes). His sons, Hippias and Hipparchus ruled the city in a very similar way after their father’s death. However, after Hipparchus was murdered, his brother Hippias became very paranoid. He became very oppressive which...
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...Irene Wanja Dr Lancaster Eng 230.06 24 February 2014 Role of women in “the epic of Gilgamesh” The epic of Gilgamesh (King of Uruk) is a story his personality and his beliefs. Gilgamesh is a tyrant, a “powerful warrior who shows his mettle in battle” (Abusch 2001). This Mesopotamian hero is a tyrant, big and prominent. He goes through some things in his life that have him making a three hundred and sixty degree turn around in all aspects of his life. It is not written by just one author but has been an evolving story over a millennium. Women in ancient Mesopotamia were considered property of the husband. The man was the head of the house, and the woman’s duty was to cook, bare children for the men and raise them. The main value of women in ancient Mesopotamia was child bearing. The stages of life for the women of Mesopotamia went from being a daughter to being a bride, then a spouse and finally a housekeeper. Though they are not prominently features, the epic of Gilgamesh shows the importance of women and their role in everyday life. They are valuable in the story because without them, the men would not have gotten as far as they did. They are highly influential because they have power, which they each use differently. Shamhat is the temple prostitute, very morally loose woman who will lay with any man. She is sent by Gilgamesh to give herself to Enkidu and have sex with him so that the animals will see and not want to be associated with him anymore. The king’s thinking is that...
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...stories. Gilgamesh is one of these stories. Although many truths can be pulled out of the story of Gilgamesh, the most important lesson is the one that took him the longest to learn. Gilgamesh, the half god- half man tyrant king,has no fear of death, but rather thinks he is untouchable. What he eventually learns is that man can die in more ways than one and that death is inevitable for everyone. He learns to live in the moment, for one never knows when their story is complete. At the beginning of the story, Gilgamesh has a certain view of death. He's not afraid of what happens after life but instead wants to die in the most glorious way possible. We first see Gilgamesh's this perspective when his best friend Enkidu and himself venture into a forbidden forest to vanquish a monster. Gilgamesh is bored and hungry for an adventure, so what does a...
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...entertainment of his day with little thought to their immortality. Shakespeare did not take any steps to preserve his writings past their immediate use. (Fortunately his friends did.) With all the academic study of Shakespeare and the trappings of fine culture that have been wrapped around productions of his dramas over the centuries, we often forget what a rollicking, bawdy and entertaining spectacle his plays presented to their original audience — and still can to a modern audience, in the right hands. The timelessness of Shakespeare's themes continue to keep his plays fresh. He dramatized basic issues: love, marriage, familial relationships, gender roles, race, age, class, humor, illness, deception, betrayal, evil, revenge, murder, and death. The essential question that Shakespeare explored in his plays is, "what does it mean to be a human being?" The genius of Shakespeare is that he manged to show us ourselves in every conceivable light. It really doesn't matter when the plays were written since they are about the human condition which is timeless. Shakespeare was an incredible observer of his fellow human beings. We, as human beings, may dress differently or have more technology than people in Shakespeare's day but we are still motivated by the same desires and have the same feelings. The themes of his plays are as universal as his characters. For example, in his history plays, he explores the...
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...soliloquay stretches throughout the play emphasising time namely Macbeth’s gradual dehumanisation due to his ambition and substantial exposure to evil where he is trapped in an endless spiral of guilt and eventually tragedy. This is a comparison between his past self where he was honourable compared to his present self where he is ruthless. Perhaps the greatest tragedy in Macbeth isn’t the death of himself but the path of dehumanisation he takes. The theme of how substantial exposure to evil affects you is illustrated in Macbeth’s Soliloquay. This eerie, altered perspective of life and mortality has definitely overcome Macbeth due to his exposure to sheer evil wether it is the deeds he performs or the witches. Shakespeare uses contrast to highlight the deterioration of Macbeth as in the beginning of the play he is portrayed by the nobles, soldiers and King Duncan as noble, brave, loyal and valiant ‘Those he commands move only in command, Nothing in love...’ and in comparison to the time of this soliloquay is a person who has piled copius blood upon his hands and is an illogical dejected tyrant. For Macbeth he has gained the Scottish crown but has lost everything on the way. Shakespeare suggests that a person’s responsibility and exposure to copius amounts of evil can lead to a changed perspective of life. There more blood that has befallen upon Macbeth’s hands the more depleted his understanding of life is.Shakespeare portrays Macbeth’s struggle to stay sane with his self-conflict...
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...Maximillien Robespierre was a major part in the French Revolution after the execution of Louis XVI. He rose to prominence and led a large part of the revolution through what was happening. He was not as radical as many of the revolutionaries of the time but he wanted to keep the revolution in check so as to not lose everything that had already been accomplished and to make sure that the country of France did not go into complete anarchy. The majority of his influence was from 1793-1794 and his fall from prominence came soon thereafter. Maximillien was a “small, thin dogmatic man of thirty-two wit thick, carefully brushed and powdered hair and a slightly pockmarked skin of a deathly greenish pallor.” That is how he is visually described in the book. He was also very true to himself and never goes against what he believed, he is described as being unremittingly conscious of his own virtues. Ever since he was in school, he was a very intelligent hard working student who was very determined to make sure that he would succeed in this life. (204) He went on to be a lawyer just like his father was and he was a very good one at that utilizing his intelligence to help people. He also was never extra greedy for high fees like Danton was. He also tried as hard as he could to only defend the people that he believed were right and did not go against any of his morals, or to defend an unworthy cause. (206) He made a name for himself amongst the people while he was doing this...
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...ages have produced numerous legends and heroes that remain very much a part of our contemporary culture; one need only to refer to the Tales of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table or of the outlaw Robin Hood,…Amidst the struggle to halt the Ottoman onslaught in Southeastern Europe the historical figure of Vlad Dracula arose to become a legend in his own time] (Treptow, 2000, p.7). Vlad the Impaler or Dracula was a very smart man in a sick way. He once tried to use a “technique…[not used]…to impale the anus but rather some other part of the body, normally the back or the chest, the ribs being counted on to sustain the victim’s weight. [Vlad] seems to have abandoned them later in favor of inflicting a slower and more agonizing death” (Myles, 1988, p.103) Once he stuck with the way of impaling by going through the anus, he had a way “to prevent immediate and massive hemorrhaging he ordered that the stakes be rounded at the ends and greased, thus ensuring a gradual rupturing of the viscera over a much longer period”(p.103). “Day after day Vlad the third was more sinister or evil, he even “mutilated [his victims] in every conceivable manner: blinded, maimed, disemboweled, skinned alive, boiled in oil, burned, hanged, garroted, and roasted over slow fires. Occasionally he crucified them. Occasionally, too,…he even exposed helpless captives to the attacks of half-starved wild animals, particularly the Carpathian wolf”(p.104). When Nicolas Modrussa talked to Pope Pious II...
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